p u p p e t m a s t e r
by Twelf Bell
Summary: As requested by Turquoise.ebonyfox. AU one-shot. This is the story of the puppet master, Doumeki Shizuka, and Watanuki Kimihiro, his...


**As requested by _Turquoise. ebonyfox_.** (I had to put a space because without it, it wouldn't work Dx)  
I listened to _Apocalyptica_'s version of this song instead of _Metallica_'s, hope you don't mind =3= It's not according to the lyrics: This fic is based off the song title (I also changed it to _Puppet Master_ since you typed it that way too ^-^) It's not very suspenseful... I think, but enjoy. **~SEi**

**x o x o x**

Once upon a time, there was a man. He came and went as quietly as his name. He was Doumeki Shizuka, the master of puppets. He only came to town for his everyday walk, wearing his long green cloak, green gloves and dark boots. No one knew why he wore his cloak even when it was stuffy and hot out. No one knew why he wore his gloves even when he ate. No one knew why he wore his boots even when he was inside his house.

Doumeki Shizuka was a mystery, according to everyone, except a young man by the name of Watanuki Kimihiro. He was the only apprentice of the puppet master and he lived with the puppet master in the large brick house with a strong thatched roof in the woods. He also knew what the townspeople didn't know. Watanuki often wondered if Doumeki wore it because he wanted to train for something important in the future. But he knew the truth: he knew that Doumeki wore his cloak even when it was stuffy and hot out because he didn't like getting sunburn - he had said "Getting sunburns are worse than getting sunstroke. They're harder to get off."; Watanuki knew that Doumeki wore his gloves even when he ate because he didn't want to damage his hands in any way - "Our hands are important to us puppet makers."; Watanuki also knew that Doumeki wore his boots even when he was inside his house... simply because the floor was constantly dirty... despite Watanuki's many attempts to clean it. But in the house of a puppet master and maker, you would expect seeing scraps of wood and cloth every where. So Watanuki gave up on the job of cleaning the floor.

When the townspeople saw Watanuki in the streets, they would wonder why _he_ himself, the _apprentice_ of the puppet master, didn't wear what Doumeki did. But the answers were simple; because he wasn't like Doumeki. He _did_ wear shoes in the house though. Just not heavy and dark army-like boots like Doumeki's. He had "normal townspeople clothes": he wore a white collar shirt with a vest and pants with leather shoes. However, even if you don't want to believe this, the truth is, Doumeki himself designed these uniforms for Watanuki. But the truth is also that Watanuki made them himself since the puppet master himself could not sew. So point taken: Watanuki was the one who made all the clothes for the puppets that Doumeki made.

Watanuki's job as an apprentice wasn't much, as you can already tell. He _never_ did anything relating to puppets. All he did was household chores, like tending to the chimney and garden, cooking, sewing, shopping for the daily groceries and much more. Watanuki didn't understand why he could never do anything related to puppets. But he knew that whenever he looked at one, or watched the puppet master begin to make one from scratch, he would immediately feel sick and would run away because they looked so realistic. So he never asked Doumeki if he could help. He was fine with doing the household chores... even though Doumeki often teased him about being his wife. Okay, I'm lying. He teased the poor guy _every_day.

"Oi."

"What do you want? I'm in the middle of cooking."

"You done?"

"H-Hey! Don't eat when I'm not finished!"

"Mm."

"Get out! I'm busy!"

_Crash! Clang! Splat!_

"Grr! Look what you did, you idiot!"

"...Hn."

"Now we don't have anything to eat!"

"I do. But you don't."

"What are you talking about?"

"I could just eat you."

_Smack!_

"Leave. Right. NOW!"

Not everyday ended with that kind of fight. Often, Watanuki would get tired of being apart and he would go find the other to be comforted. Those times were when he would suddenly feel lonely and sad. He would find Doumeki sitting in the back porch and smirking as always and he would sit next to the smirking man and ask to tell him another story about his past. From what Doumeki had told him since the first time Watanuki wondered about his past, Watanuki knew that he was born into a nice family of two, a loving mother and father. He didn't have any siblings and the family was a neighbor to the first puppet master ever: Doumeki Haruka. They got along well, but he (Watanuki) and Doumeki Haruka's grandson (Shizuka) didn't get along so well. They fought often but they strangely still stuck together (like they still presently do).

When Watanuki would ask about his teenage years and about where his parents were now, he would get a minute pause before getting the same answer he's heard since he first asked: "I told you. I don't know. I moved away."

But Watanuki knew that was a lie. Because of that pause. And because Doumeki would get up and go back inside. One time he followed the puppet master in and found him in his work room, with his head in his hands. Watanuki wondered if he was crying or was simply just tired. So time and time again, after he would ask that 'forbidden' question, he would knock softly on the door, wait for a "Come in", and give Doumeki a cup of hot tea. Then Watanuki would bring a chair to sit next to Doumeki and apologize over and over again.

Watanuki had never seen Doumeki cry and he didn't want to either. His own heart would break if the man did. But if the puppet master would ever tell him the truth and he (Doumeki) will cry, then Watanuki would just comfort him and listen. But would those actions be appropriate? Would Doumeki even cry? Would the story be something Watanuki himself wouldn't cry at?

Will they have a happy ending? Will they forever be together even after they die? But that is the forbidden part of this story. We don't know, I don't know, they don't know.

But I do know that now is the end of the beginning story of the puppet master Doumeki Shizuka, and his forever un-aging puppet... Watanuki Kimihiro.

**THE END.**

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Please review. If I failed miserably, please do tell me. I'll bear with it.  
**So to be honest, this story went two ways. But I felt that this one was less confusing than the other one. Hope you enjoyed it.


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